As an aspiring guitarist, the road to accomplishment may seem
tough to travel as you begin your journey. Knowing where to
start can be a large part of the battle when you are new to
guitar. Many new students dream of a moment in the spotlight
when they will be able to showcase their talent and skill while
playing onstage. Some students dream of their first great guitar
solo and the accolades it will bring. Soon they realize that
dreams of becoming an accomplished guitarist are great but the
problem becomes, how does one get there.
It goes without saying that a certain amount of natural skill
and talent, which comes from God, is part of the equation.
Having conceded this point, it is also very obvious that no
matter how talented you are, a certain amount of work and
preparation is also a factor. Proper planning, study, practice
and execution will make all the difference in success or failure
for the aspiring guitar player.
It is important for the new student to study and gain knowledge
regarding music theory and how it applies to the guitar. Many
resources and publications exist that will provide useful tools
for guitarists. Music courses and online resources are a great
place to begin.
Two very important tools for the beginner guitarist are guitar
tabs and chords charts. Using these tools in tandem can help a
new guitar player gain insight into musical structure and
theory. More importantly, using both tabs and chords together
will help the musician understand the association between music
theory concepts and the guitar. Developing skills which revolve
around guitar tabs and chords will familiarize the student with
the fretboard and teach additional fretboard concepts. Combining
guitar tabs and chord studies will help the musician understand
key structures, scale structures and also relative key and scale
mode variations. Mastering the use of chords and tabs and
understanding their relation to the guitar fretboard will
prepare the student for solo work as well as playing with other
musicians.
Using guitar tabs to map various scale modes on the fretboard
will be very beneficial in regard to understanding your lead and
melody work on the guitar. Using guitar chords ( i.e. movable
chord types, open chords and chord variations ) will be very
beneficial for learning the keys of music and their relative
keys. Combining the two will give a guitarist the versatility
they need to to be a very important part of any musical group or
solo effort.
The process of using guitar tabs and guitar chord studies to
further your knowledge as a guitarist will take commitment and
dedication. Becoming an accomplished guitarist is not something
one can do overnight. Taking the time to learn basic music
theory will help you lay a foundation which will guide you as a
guitar player for the remainder of your life. When the proper
foundation is laid in the beginning, the process of becoming an
accomplished guitarist will be naturally accelerated.
About the author:
Al Wielder is a host and instructor at Riff TV. Contact Al Wielder at Riff
TV.com, your source for guitar tab, guitar lessons
and free video guitar training.
